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That wasn’t the case when I first worked in local politics 25 years ago. The minority candidates would huddle to choose one from their ranks to get elected. They believed voters would elect only one new minority candidate, not several.

Two decades later, Barack Obama becomes president with support from a breadth of communities. Had the U.S. become post-racial? Obama couldn’t win with just support of African Americans (13 percent of the population).

This year, the debate of a post-racial election continues. And the concept typically framed in a black-white context appears to have a halo.

One set of candidates has seen steady growth in cities and states across the country where few share their ethnic background: Asian-Americans.

Democrat Tammy Duckworth, who is Thai, is running for Congress in a district outside Chicago with 5.7 percent Asian Americans.

The Republican governors of Louisiana (Bobby Jindal) and South Carolina (Nikki Haley), both of Indian descent, won in traditionally red, southern states that are less than two percent Asian American.

In fact, this year’s data shows a paradox. Where Asian-American populations are higher, it was slightly less likely Asian-American candidate won the primary. The average Asian-American population where the Asian-American challenger won was 6.2 percent (not including Hawaii), and where they lost was 6.4 percent.

Also worth considering, fundraising. Despite being relatively new to politics, Asian-Americans raise more money than their competitors, an indication of broader appeal in most cases: so far this cycle by $100k on average ($788k versus $686k).

Gloria Chen from the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, which tracks and trains Asian-American politicians, explains: “Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are making history not as ethnic candidates, but as truly American candidates with the purpose of strengthening our entire nation.”

The crossover vote fuels this trend. Former White House aide to George H.W. Bush, Joe Watkins, says voting for ethnic candidates changed: “The crossover vote is when one groups votes for another in an untraditional way. We’re seeing Asian-American candidates get elected this way across the country.”

This election, the number of Asian-Americans running for Congress reached a new record, 36, more than tripling 2010’s record of 10. And not in “easy” races per se: 10 were in competitive swing districts not solidly blue or red.

Readers' Comments (4)

People's careers now depend upon racism. They are not about to put themselves out of a job. They have a vested interest in dividing people and they set to it.

But one must give kudos to Asians. For the most part, they have not been drawn into the darkness of identity group politics and dead-end dependency upon the state. They recognize it for the trap it is. For those that do not, shame on them

Obama was elected by the 'takers' in 2008 with sentiments of liberal guilt for slavery and everybody's tiring of mideast wars. Whether or not these voters will have 'buyer's remorse', will determine the outcome of this one. FDR was re-elected in 1936 with a 16.9% unemployment rate and more makers than takers. FDR was able to shine the public on, with a 'hope and change' pitch, much like Obama's.

The two GOP ideologues who kicked this thread off will probably still be spreading the GOP's hate and fear when it is reduced to a minor, regional party by the massive demographic change that has already started.